Stepladder guard attachment



Ju1y23,19 4o.. GBRIMBOEUF 2,208,833 l STEPLADDER GUARD ATTACHMENT Filed July 20, 1938 .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY n July 23, 1940.

G. BRIMBOEUF STEPLADDER GUARD ATTACHMENT 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed July 20, 1938 ATTO R N EY Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATES STEPLADDER GUARD ATTAC 1 Claim.

'Ihis invention relates to stepladder guard attachments.

An object of this invention is to provide a stepladder guard attachment which may be adjustably mounted in a relatively short time on any stepladder, new or old, and extending upwardly from a stepladder to provide a support which may be held by a person on the stepladder, or against which a person on astepladder may lean, while using the stepladder, also enabling the person to stand, even at the top end 0f the stepladder thereby instilling confidence and a sense of security, thus avoiding the hasard of accidents or falling off, and giving free move- The said stepladder guard also affords vthe convenience to add one to two feet extra usefulness to any size stepladder by permitting a person to stand on the top of the ladder and feel perfectly secure from falling, so that a 3 foot stepladder will render the service of a 4 or 5 foot stepladder and 6 foot stepladder willserve a -7 to 8 foot stepladderl and. etc.

AA further object of this invention is to provide a stepladder guard attachment of the character described, which may be adjusted to various angles and which may be collapsed to lie against the ladder, when notl in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide oa neat, compact and rugged stepladder with guard attachment of the character described, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and adjust, and which shall yet be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the featuresk of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of applicationwill be: indicated in the following claim.

AIn the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possibleillustrative ern-- bodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stepladder with guard attachment embodying the invention,

and showing the'guardvl in adjusted and in collapsed: positions indot, dash` lines;

YNT

Gaston Brimboeuf, New York, N. Y., assigner of eighty per cent to Josephine G. Brimboeuf, New York, N. Y.

Application July 20, 1938, Serial-No. 220,290

Figure 2` is a partial, enlarged, side elevational view of the upper end of the stepladder and the lower end of the improved guard attachment;y v

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, but illustrating a modied construction Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken' on line 5 5 o-f Figure 4;

Figure Gis a View similar to Figure 4; but illustrating a still further modified construction;

Figure '7 is a cross-sectional View taken on line- 'I-l of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of a step-l ladder with guard attachment embodying the invention, illustrating a modiedcons-truction;

Figure 9 is a partial, enlarged view ofthe porltion of the ladder shown in Figure 3, with parts broken away and in cross-section; l

Figure 10 is aside elevational View similar to Figure 8, and illustrating yet another modifie form of the invention; d

Figure 1l is a cross-sectional View taken on line II-Ii of Figure 10;

Figure l2 is a side elevational-view of aladder. embodying the invention, and illustrating an other modied form thereof; and A Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view takenon line IS-IS of Figure 12.

Referring'now in detail to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3 thereof., l' designates a stepladder which is provided withv a guard attachment -Ii embodying the invention, The stepladder may be of the collapsible typeand comprises a pair of elongated, parallel boards I2 interconnected by rungs I3. i

When the ladder is open, the members -i2` are inclined to the. floor, and have lower edges I4, contacting the floor, and horizontal upper edges. Fixed to the upper portion of ,each member, I2; is a channel shaped. member I 6 having a topA wall II contacting the top edge of said member', and parallel downwardly extending side walls, I8-,` contacting the sides of said member. Channel shaped member i6 extendsbeyond `the member: I2. Said members I6 are xed to the members I2 by transverse-rivets IS.

Extending into the projectingportionof each channel shaped member I6 is Athe upper end of,l leg 20, pivoted to said channel shaped member, by a transverse pivot pin 2'Isupported` onsaid side walls I8. Thetop plate 22 of theladder. may be fixed toethe top Walls Il of the channels-haped members. I6, by rivets, screws. or in any athen suitable manner., notshowvn..

The ends of the top plate 22 project beyond the channel shaped members I6, and attached to the underside of each projecting portion, as by screws 24 is a plate 25. Welded or otherwise Xed to the plates 25 are horizontal, aligned screws 26, projecting beyond the top plate 22 on both sides of the ladder, for the purpose hereinafter appearing.

Fixed to the upper portion of each leg 20, just below the channel shaped members I6, is a U- shaped bracket 30, disposed perpendicularly to said leg and having parallel ears carrying a transverse pivot pin 3l. Each member 30 is xed to the leg 20 by a pair of rivets 32, or in any other suitable manner.

'Ihe guard attachment II comprises a pair oi parallel side rods 33, interconnected by one or more rungs 34. The lower ends of the rods 33 are pivoted to the pins 3 I, being received between the projecting ears of the U-shaped member 30.

Pivoted to'the outer side of each rod 33, as at 35, intermediate the ends of said rod, is an elongated metal brace 36, having flattened end portions 36a formed with a plurality of spaced notches 31 in one edge thereof, adapted to engage one of the screws 26. Wing nuts 40 screwed to the screws 26 serve to hold the braces 36 on said screws.

It will now be understood that the guard at- 39,- tachment II may be adjusted to various angular positions by engaging the screw 26 with different notches 31.

When the wing nuts 40 are loosened, the braces 36 may be disengaged from the screws 26 and .t the attachment II may be swung downwardly to the dotted dash position of Figure l, lying against the legs 20. Coil tension springs 4I interconnect the rods 33 with the legs 2U, to retain the guard I I in the collapsed position shown in Figure 1.

It will be noted that one of the rungs 34 of the guard is omitted to permit a pail 43 to be hung by a snap hook 44 from the top rung of said guard.

In Figures 4 and 5, channel shaped members I6 are iixed to the members I2, and the legs 26 are 45 pivoted to said channel shaped members, as in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Fixed to the underside of the top plate 22, at each end, is a second channel shaped member 50 parallel to members I6, and having downwardly extending parallel walls 5I. The side walls 5I of each member 56, extend forwardly beyond the top plate 22, forming a pair of parallel ears 52 carrying a transverse pivot pin 53. Carried by the rear ends of the flanges or walls 5I is a screw 54 projecting to one side of member 50. On the screw 54 is a sleeve 55 interposed between the walls 5I.

The lower ends of the rods 33 of the guard project between the ears 52 and are provided with through openings to receive the rivets 53. A U- shaped strap 51 surrounds the lower end of each rod 33 and is fixed thereto by a rivet 58. Braces 36 carried by the rods 33 may be engaged with the projecting portions of the screws 54, and held thereon by wing nuts 40, the same as in Figures l, 2 and 3.

The structure shown in Figures 6 and 7 is similar to the structure shown in Figure 1, with the exception that plates 25 and screws 26 are replaced by pins 60 projecting through openings 6I in the flanges I8 of channel shaped members I6. On each pin 66 is a xed collar 62, and beyond the collar 62, is a screw threaded portion 63 to be engaged by the notches 31 and to receive the rwing nut 40. Interposed between the collar 62 and adjacent wall I8, o`n each side of the ladder, is a wood block 65, having a flat upper surface 66 contacting the underside of the top plate 22.

In Figures 8 and 9 there is shown a ladder I0, similar to the ladder I in Figure 1, with the exception that the plate 25, screws 26 and brackets 30 are omitted.

Attached to the legs 20 of the ladder I0, however, are brackets 16. Each bracket 10 has a pair of spaced, aligned portions 1I contacting the outer edge of the leg 20. Extending upwardly from the lower portion 1I is a wall or portion 12, interconnected to the upper portion 1I by a substantially horizontal wall portion 13. The portion 13 is formed with an opening 14 and is provided with a pair of downwardly extending parallel flanges 15, carrying a transverse pivot pin 16. Pivoted to the pin 16 is a cammed member 11, provided with a handle 18.

It will be noted that the member 11 is located within the bracket 10. The sides of the bracket, however, are open so that a hand may be inserted to manipulate the cam.

Pivoted to the ends of the top plate 22 of the ladder are a pair of links 8D, and pivoted to the upper ends of the links 80, are the side rodsl of a stepladder guard attachment 82. Fixed to the lower ends of the rods 82 are plates 83 each formed with a notch 84. The lower ends of plates 83 project through the openings 14, and the notches 84 receive the adjacent edges 85, in the top walls 13 of brackets' 10, formed by the openings 14. The plate 83 is held in engagement with the edge 85 of the bracket by pivotally moving the handle 18 forwardly to the full line position of Figure 9, in which position, the guard attachment is supported by the bracket 10. When the handle 18 is swung to the dotted line position of Figure 9, the guard attachment may be lifted out of the openings 14 and swung to the dot-dash position of Figure 8, to lie against the members I2.

In Figures 10 and l1 there is xed to each leg a plate 90 formed with a radial notch 9|. Carried by each plate 96 is a pivot pin 92, and rotatably mounted on said pivot pin, is a member 93 having a handle 94 and formed with a bayonet notch 95 having a circular portion adapted to overlap notch 9| when the handle 94 is down in the full line position of Figure 10 to form an opening, for the purpose hereinafter appearing.

Pivoted to the top plate 22 of the ladder are brace links 98. Pivoted to the outer ends of the links 98 are the side rods 99 of a guard attachment IUD. The lower ends of the side rods 99 are formed with outwardly projecting aligned pins IDI adapted to project through the openings formed by the overlapping notches 9| and 95.

When the handles 94 are down, the pins project through said openings, whereby the guard is supported by the plates 90.

When the handles 94 are swung upwardly, the notches 9| are uncovered to permit the pins IUI to be lifted out of the notches, so that member 99 rznay be swung downwardly to lie against the legs In Figures 12 and 13 there is a ladder I0. Attached to the top plate 22 of the ladder are a pair of angle shaped brackets I I0. Pivoted to the legs 20 of the ladder are the side rods III of a guard attachment II2.

Slidably mounted on each side rod III is a strap I I4, adapted to slidably receive the upstanding lip I I of the bracket I l0. A set screw I I6 of each bracket permits the bracket to be xed to the rod III, in either lip engaging position, as

shown in full lines in Figure 12, or in disengaging position, as shown in dotted lines in said gure.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In combination, a stepladder comprising a pair of parallel members interconnected by rungs and having top edges, a pair of channel shaped members, each having downwardly extending walls, and a top wall, and receiving the top edge of each of said iirst members between said downwardly extending side walls, means for fixing said channel shaped members to said first members, said channel shaped members extending beyond said first members, a pair of legs having the upper ends thereof received between the side walls of said channel shaped members, and pivoted thereto, a top plate fixed to said channel shaped mem-v bers, a pair of brackets attached to the underside of said top plate and disposed at the outer ends of said top plate, a pair of aligned, horizontal, out wardly extending screws iixed to said pair of brackets and extending beyond the ends of said top plate, a pair of brackets xed to the upper "ends of said legs, just below said channel shaped members, a guard attachment comprising a pair of parallel side rods interconnected by rungs, means for pivotally connecting the lower ends of said side rods to said last mentioned brackets, a pair of brace members pivoted at their upper ends to said rod, the lower ends of said brace menu bers being flattened and formed with notches re- 

